1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an ink cartridge device for use with an ink jet printer.
2. Prior Art
FIGS. 9A and 9B show a conventional ink cartridge. The ink cartridge 80 is comprised of a cartridge body 82 having three (YMC) ink reservoirs 81 for holding yellow ink, magenta ink, and cyan ink, a delivery port-sealing film 84 sealing ink delivery ports 83 of the cartridge body 82, and an air inlet port-sealing film 87 sealing ink-charging ports 85 and air inlet ports 86 of the cartridge body 82. In the state constructed above, the ink cartridge 80 is enclosed in an aluminum package, not shown, for shipment. Ink in the cartridge body 82 is made liable to degradation by exposure to air. To avoid this inconvenience, the ink cartridge 80 has the ink delivery ports 83 thereof sealed by the delivery port-sealing film 84, and then, after being charged with ink from the ink-charging ports 85 in a vacuum chamber, the ink-charging ports 85 and air inlet ports 86 are sealed by the air inlet port-sealing film 87. In this state, the ink cartridge 80 is vacuum-packed in an aluminum package for supply to the user.
When the ink cartridge 80 is used by the user, first, the aluminum package is unsealed to take out the ink cartridge 80, and thereafter, part (peel-off portion 87a) of the air inlet port-sealing film 87 is peeled off, and the air inlet ports (actually, upstream ends of meandering air inlet passages continuous with the respective air inlet ports) 86 are opened to the atmosphere, while the delivery port-sealing film 84 is peeled off to open the ink delivery ports 83. In this state, the ink cartridge 80 is loaded in a printer.
The conventional ink cartridge having the above construction suffers from the problem that when the delivery port-sealing film is removed from (peeled off) the cartridge body, ink held in the vicinity of the ink delivery ports may be scattered (spilled) and ink adhering to the delivery port-sealing film, particularly, a delivery port-sealing portion thereof may touch the user""s hand, so that the user""s hand, a desk, or the like can be stained with the ink. Further, there is a fear that the user forgets to peel off the delivery port-sealing film and loads the ink cartridge still covered therewith in the printer. Further, the conventional ink cartridge has the inconvenience that since the inside of the cartridge body is under reduced pressure, air can be mixed into ink to cause a faulty printing operation, unless the films are peeled off in order of the air inlet port-sealing film, first, and then the delivery port-sealing film, in accordance with an instruction manual of the ink cartridge supplied to the user.
It is an object of the invention to provide an ink cartridge device which permits a delivery port-sealing film to be positively peeled off and prevents ink from scattering out of the device when the delivery port-sealing film is peeled off.
To attain the first object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an ink cartridge device for a printer, comprising:
an ink cartridge having an ink delivery port for supplying ink to the printer therefrom, and a rim of the ink delivery port;
a container box for containing the ink cartridge, the container box having a box body and a lid for closing the box body, the box body being formed with a slit; and
a delivery port-sealing film having a sealing portion removably welded to the rim of the ink delivery port, for sealing the ink delivery port, and an unsealing operation portion continuous with the sealing portion and extending in a direction of making a U-turn with respect to the sealing portion to extend out of the container box through the slit of the box body.
According to this ink cartridge device, if the unsealing operation portion extending out of the box body through the slit is pulled while holding the container box, the sealing portion continuous with the unsealing operation portion is drawn in a manner making a U-turn and peeled off the ink delivery port. In this operation, the sealing portion being peeled of f is drawn in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the axis of the ink delivery port. This makes it possible to suppress scattering of ink from the ink delivery port. Further, even if ink is scattered, the scattered ink can be received within the box body.
Preferably, an end of the sealing portion remote from the unsealing operation portion is fixedly attached to the box body.
According to this preferred embodiment, when peeling of the delivery port-sealing film has been completed, the film is prevented from being drawn out any further, which enables the user to recognize that the peeling operation has been completed, even without viewing a peeled-off portion of the film. Further, the user can dispose of the delivery port-sealing film stained with ink along with the container box therefor.
Preferably, a distal end portion of the unsealing operation portion extending out of the container box is folded to extend under the lid in a closed state.
According to this preferred embodiment, when the ink cartridge is not desired to be put into use, it is possible to prevent the unsealing operation portion from being erroneously pulled to peel off the delivery port-sealing film. Moreover, part of the unsealing operation portion extending out of the container box is prevented from obstructing a packing operation for packing the container box containing the ink cartridge, for instance.
Preferably, the box body has a belt-like portion extending therefrom such that the belt-like portion covers the unsealing operation portion extending out of the container box from outside,
the belt-like portion including a holding portion holding the unsealing operation portion such that the unsealing operation portion extends along a side surface of the box body, and an insertion portion folded to be inserted under the lid together with the distal end portion of the unsealing operation portion, and
the insertion portion being separably continuous with the holding portion and having the distal end portion of the unsealing operation portion fixedly attached thereto.
According to this preferred embodiment, the unsealing operation portion can be held by the belt-like portion such that it extends along a side surface of the box body, so as to prevent the same from obstructing a packing operation or the like. Further, the insertion portion is torn off from the holding portion to separately draw the unsealing operation portion, whereby the insertion portion can be used as a pull tab for peeling off the delivery port-sealing film. During the peeling operation, even if the sealing portion peeled off is drawn out of the container box, a surface of the sealing portion stained with ink is bought into sliding contact with the holding portion, thereby preventing ink from attaching to a desk or the like.
Preferably, an inner surface of the box body facing toward the ink delivery port is provided with an ink-absorbing portion capable of absorbing ink.
According to this preferred embodiment, ink scattered by peeling of the delivery port-sealing film or ink adhering to the delivery port-sealing film peeled off can be efficiently absorbed by the ink-absorbing portion of the inner surface of the box body.
Preferably, the ink cartridge has an air inlet port corresponding to the ink delivery port, for permitting air to flow into an inside of the ink cartridge, and a rim of the air inlet port,
the ink cartridge device further including an air inlet port-sealing film for sealing the air inlet port of the ink cartridge,
the air inlet port-sealing film having an air inlet port-sealing portion removably welded to the rim of the air inlet port, and an air inlet port-unsealing operation portion continuous with the air inlet port-sealing portion, the air inlet port-unsealing operation portion being fixedly attached to the lid, for permitting the air inlet port-sealing portion to be peeled off by an opening operation for opening the lid.
According to this preferred embodiment, when the lid is opened so as to take out the unsealing operation portion folded under the lid, the air inlet port-sealing film is automatically pulled to thereby peel the same off the ink cartridge. That is, when the lid is opened, the air inlet port-sealing film is first pulled off and then, the delivery port-sealing film is peeled off by pulling the unsealing operation portion. Thus, the air inlet port and the ink delivery port are made open to the atmosphere, in the mentioned order. Therefore, even if the ink cartridge is supplied to a user in a state reduced in pressure inside, air is prevented from being mixed into the ink held therein when the ink cartridge is put into use.
Preferably, the lid is formed with an opening tab, for being pulled up to carry out the opening operation for opening the lid,
the air inlet port-unsealing operation portion being fixedly attached to the opening tab.
According to this preferred embodiment, by pinching and pulling the opening tab, the air inlet port-sealing film is automatically torn off simultaneously when the lid is opened. The air inlet port-unsealing operation portion is fixedly attached to the opening tab, and the user directly pulls this operation portion. This makes it possible to positively or reliably peel off the air inlet port-sealing film even when the lid is low in rigidity.
Preferably, the box body has an upper end opposed to the lid, the upper end being formed with a cut-away portion for permitting the ink cartridge contained therein to be seized to draw out the ink cartridge.
According to this preferred embodiment, when the ink cartridge is finally taken out from the container box, the cartridge is seized via the cut-away portion, whereby the cartridge can be easily taken out without turning the container box upside down.
To attain the above object, according to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an ink cartridge device for a printer, comprising:
an ink cartridge having an ink delivery port for supplying ink to the printer therefrom, and a rim of the ink delivery port;
a container box for containing the ink cartridge;
a delivery port-sealing film having a sealing portion removably welded to the rim of the ink delivery port, for sealing the ink delivery port, and an unsealing operation portion continuous with the sealing portion and fixedly attached to the container box, the sealing portion being peeled off within the container box as a drawing operation for drawing out the ink cartridge from the container box is carried out; and
braking means for braking the drawing operation.
When the delivery port-sealing film is peeled off within the container box by utilizing the drawing operation for drawing out the ink cartridge from the container box, if the drawing operation is carried out violently, there is a fear that ink scatters out of the container box, since ink leaking from the ink delivery port also has motility in the direction of drawing out of the ink cartridge.
According to this ink cartridge device, the drawing operation for drawing out the ink cartridge is braked, whereby the ink cartridge is forced to be slowly drawn out or removed from the container box. This makes it possible to effectively prevent ink from scattering out of the container box when the delivery port-sealing film is peeled off.
Preferably, the braking means comprises an auxiliary film which has one end thereof removably welded to the ink cartridge, and another end thereof fixedly attached to the container box, and
the drawing operation is braked by a peeling operation for peeling off the auxiliary film.
Alternatively, the ink delivery port opens in one end face of the ink cartridge,
the braking means comprising outward projections formed on respective side surfaces of the ink cartridge toward the one end face thereof, and inward projections formed on respective inner surfaces of the container box toward an opening of the container box which permits the ink cartridge to be drawn out therefrom, and
the drawing operation being braked by bringing the outward projections and the inward projections into sliding contact with each other.
Alternatively, the braking means comprises a welded portion continuous with an end of the sealing portion remote from the unsealing operation portion and removably welded to the ink cartridge, and
the drawing operation being braked by a peeling operation for peeling off the welded portion.
According to these preferred embodiments, in the course of drawing out the ink cartridge, the cartridge can be smoothly braked without causing the user to feel that the cartridge is lodged. It should be noted that the braking operation is effected immediately after peeling of the delivery port-sealing film has been completed.
To attain the above object, according to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided an ink cartridge device for a printer, comprising:
an ink cartridge having an ink delivery port for supplying ink to the printer therefrom, and a rim of the ink delivery port;
a delivery port-sealing film having a sealing portion removably welded to the rim of the ink delivery port, for sealing the ink delivery port, and an unsealing operation portion continuous with the sealing portion, for being pulled to carry out a peeling operation for peeling off the sealing portion before the ink cartridge is mounted in the printer; and
a peeling guide portion which restricts a direction of the peeling operation carried out by the unsealing operation portion to a direction of the sealing portion making a U turn.
According to this ink cartridge device, when the unsealing operation portion is pulled, the sealing portion continuous with the unsealing operation portion is drawn in a manner making a U-turn and peeled off the rim of the ink delivery port. The sealing portion being pulled off is drawn in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the axis of the ink delivery port. This makes it possible to prevent ink from scattering from the ink delivery port.
Preferably, the ink cartridge device further includes a scattering prevention member removably fitted on the ink cartridge such that the scattering prevention member covers the sealing portion, for receiving ink scattered by the peeling operation.
According to this preferred embodiment, even if ink is scattered by the peeling operation, the scattered ink can be received by the scattering prevention member. Further, the scattering prevention member which received the scattered ink can be removed from the ink cartridge and disposed of.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.